An armor-piercing projectile is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. Artillery projectiles are used to defeat heavily armored targets, such as tanks, bunkers, and armored warships. Projectiles smaller than 20 mm in size that are fired from handheld or small arms weapons, including revolvers, pistols, rifles, carbines, assault rifles, submachine guns, and light machine guns, are used to defeat lightly-armored targets, such as body armor and bulletproof glass.
The prior art is replete with armor-piercing projectiles, particularly armor-piercing projectiles designed to be fired from small arms weapons. Improvements in body armor and light-vehicle armor have driven the innovation in armor-piercing projectiles. Although the prior art provides a variety of armor-piercing projectiles designed to be fired from small arms weapons, these projectiles have structural and functional shortcomings necessitating new and useful improvements.
Of particular significance is the high-explosive incendiary/armor-piercing ammunition (HEIAP), which is a form of shell which combines armor-piercing capability and a high-explosive component. HEIAP munitions use high explosives to “blast a path” for the penetrator. The special effect is developed when the round strikes the target. The initial collision ignites the incendiary charge in the tip, triggering the detonation of the incendiary charge. A second incendiary charge immediately behind the incendiary charge, typically zirconium powder, also ignites. However, the second incendiary charge burns at a very high temperature, is not easily extinguished, and can last up to 15 minutes. The remaining element of the round is the penetrator, which is normally constructed of tungsten carbide. The penetrator carries a large amount of kinetic energy, which enables it to penetrate the armor initially weakened by the incendiary charge. However, the leading penetrating extremity of the penetrator is embedded into the secondary incendiary charge. As a result, the secondary incendiary charge inherently interrupts the kinetic energy of the penetrator when the secondary incendiary charge detonates. The loss of kinetic energy in the penetrator can disable the penetrator from fully penetrating the armor, especially sophisticated armor. It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.